SAR imaging of Arctic Sea Ice from an unmanned aircraft as part of the MIZOPEX project

The Marginal Ice Zone Ocean and Ice Observations and Processes EXperiment (MIZOPEX) aims to utilize unmanned aircraft in making repeated scientific observations of the surface water and sea-ice conditions during the melting period in the marginal ice zone of the Arctic Ocean. Unmanned aircraft from NASA will carry the sensors, a suite of instruments to make these measurements, including the SlimSAR from ARTEMIS, Inc. This Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a key part of MIZOPEX as it allows for direct surface roughness measurements and can operate through clouds and fog. This paper discusses the goals and technology of MIZOPEX focusing on the capabilities provided by the SlimSAR sensor.